In Another Life
by Say When
Summary: Dimitri, the moroi, and his guardian, Ivan have been inseparable since they went to the academy. All that changes when Dimitri gets a new guardian who he falls in love with. Will their love survive social classes,strigoi attacks, and family approvals?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its charaters, no matter how much I wish I did. :(**

"Dimitri, you really need to let loose," he told me.

I walked out of the local library with my guardian Ivan following closely behind. We were studying for our last tests before school was let out on break. Ivan was not only my guardian, but one of my closest friends. We both attended St. Basils and have been inseparable ever since the field experience. You really get to know a person after spending six weeks with them. I had never really talked to Ivan before then. He was always the lovable and easy-going person every one loved to hang out with, and I was the one in the back, trying to not make a scene. As weird as it seemed, Ivan and I were polar opposites yet we got along so well. Eventually, we graduated from the academy three years ago.

"Let loose?" It was almost as if those words were in a foreign language. I didn't have time to 'let loose'. I needed to get straight A's this semester if I ever wanted to get my father's approval. I desperately wanted him to be proud of me, his illegitimate child. He was a royal Moroi who had an affair with my mother, a non- royal. Let's just say his wife and family weren't too happy.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. "Oh, come on? Just go with me to this party just once. You don't have to drink. You don't even have to talk to anybody. Just please go," Ivan pleaded for about the hundredth time that afternoon. He had met a girl, Julia in class at the beginning of the year and became obsessed. After much persistence and charm on his part, Julia finally invited him to this party she was throwing

"Ivan. Be serious. You know I don't do well with parties or any large crowd for that matter," I replied, tucking the loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Oh, don't give me any of that crap," he exclaimed waving his hand. I looked over and gave him a questioning look. "You know you could ask that girl that was flirting with you today," he suggested. When I only gave him a confused look did he added, "The good looking blonde one that sits across from us in the library every day."

Why would I do that for?" I was completely perplexed what had come out of his mouth. I hope he didn't mean the human that had a tramp stamp of flowers on her lower back that you constantly see due to the low rise jeans and too-small shirts she always wore. I am male, so of course I thought she was heaven sent... Or maybe came from somewhere more sinister down below. It was only when I overheard her talking to a friend that my opinion changed. What she said was something along the lines of doing anything she could to get me in bed with her and that's not the kind of guy I am. Of course Ivan thought I was insane for not wanting to 'get laid by a goddess like her'- his words not mine. In reply, all told I told him was that desperation was not a trait I looked for in a girl.

"So you'll have at least some one to talk to."

"You know what? How about I stay at the apartment while you have your fun night out?"

"You know I would never leave you all by yourself, let alone in a place that doesn't have any wards." I opened my mouth to form a rebuttal, but was cut off when he said "You come first, remember? Or has it slipped your mind."

By that time, we reached the car. I hated when he pulled the whole 'you come first' bit. I knew that sometimes Ivan felt like just shrugging of his responsibilities to go have some fun and be the normal twenty-one year old he's supposed to be, but that's not the type of guardian he was.

It was because of that that I opened my stupid mouth and said, "Fine, but if I have to drive home with you and Julia making out in the back seat, you will regret it," I said pointing my finger at Ivan and pulled out of the parking space and onto the road.

My lips pulled up at the corners when I heard Ivan mumble something that sounded like, "It was only one time."

**Well, this just a teaser. Tell me if I should continue or just just trash this story. Reviews are appreciated. =D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its characters, no matter how much I wish I did. :(**

After a good three hours, I found myself leaning against the doorframe leading into Ivan's room. Looking around his room, you could easily tell that it was lived in and loved. On the walls, you could see posters of bands that Ivan liked and pictures of his family that he rarely saw. Articles of clothing were strewn all over the floor. The bed was unmade, and on top of the desk all the way in the corner, I could see a pile of textbooks and homework assignments that I bet he hadn't even looked at yet. However, across the hallway, my room was completely different. My room was completely bare. Everything was where it was supposed to be and my bed was always made.

The large contrast between our rooms also translated into our personalities. Ivan always was the life of the party, and I, however, was the wall flower—a difficult task when you're six feet tall. He was lovable and easy-going. I was uptight and always in control of my emotions. How do two polar opposite people become best friends? Well, when we both attended St. Basils Academy in Russia, Ivan was assigned to me during the field experience. After spending six weeks with someone, you really get to know them, and as weird as it seems, we balance each other out. Once we graduated three years ago, Ivan became my guardian, and we moved west to the US.

By now, Ivan was debating which of his many types of cologne to use. When he finally saw me there with my eyebrow raised did he say defensively, "Women like men that smell good. I'm just trying to figure out which one of these Julia will like more."

"Hey I didn't say anything. Just don't put too much on this time. You gave me a massive headache last time." I shuddered at the memory of having to roll down the windows in the middle of winter when we were driving to a study date we had with some humans that went to a different college. Of course, Ivan wanted to leave an impression just not quite the impression he was looking for.

"Well that isn't my fault now is it? You and your Moroi super-smelling abilities…"

"Whatever you like, Ivan. But hurry up so we can go to the feeders before we make our grand, smelly entrance at the party," I said making my way back out into the hallway before Ivan got the chance to redeem himself.

Being the Moroi that I was, I had to drink blood on a daily basis, and living out in the human world made that difficult. However, thankfully we lived near a campus that had a larger vampiric population than most humans knew. Because of this, the campus had feeders on hand that were hidden deep inside one of the buildings. The security there was top notch with security cameras on at all times. You even needed a password and a key to get there. But it's worth it. It would be kind of awkward if a human walked in and saw me biting into someone's neck with my fangs. Things would get pretty ugly.

Once Ivan looked good and was smelling decent, we drove over to the building that housed the feeders. To all the humans, it was known as the mess hall where each floor was designated for a specific task such as eating, purchasing school supplies and text books, and a common area. Our destination happened to be the small janitor's closet up on the third floor that happened to be on a desolate corridor that no one ventures in. Once we get there, I scavenge through my pocket to find my key to the door. However, I was interrupted when Ivan put a hand on my chest.

"Something is not right here," he said in all utter seriousness, guardian mask firmly in place. He simultaneously took a step forward towards the door while pushing me behind him.

"What's wrong?" I ask, not understanding what exactly what was going on.

"Look," he said stepping aside showing the door, "the door handle's been tampered with. Someone came in here and forced the door open." I take a closer look at said door and look closely at it. The wood of the frame was splintered, as if someone tried to use a crowbar of sorts. Without me telling it to, my hand reached out to touch the door knob, only to be met with the loud—or loud compared to a quiet hallway—clang as it fell to the ground.

"We need to get out of here," Ivan said skeptically looking down the hallway. I looked Ivan in the face. "Now." The urgent tone that he used was the reason I started moving my feet back the way we came from. His voice was as unemotional and cold as you could get—with Ivan any way. On his face was the guardian mask that you rarely saw, hiding the anxiety and adrenaline rush that I knew he must've been feeling. We were about half way down the hallway, carefully moving trying not to make a sound.

That was until my felt something hard slam into me, forcing my body to ricochet off the closest wall and to the ground. The strength of the shove left me on the floor trying to regain the breath that was knocked out of my lungs. It was only when I started to hear grunting that I finally pushed myself up off the ground. There, in the middle of the hallway, was Ivan and a Strigoi with his sharp fangs glinting under the fluorescent light. They were circling each other in a deadly dance. Each of them waiting for the other to make the first move.

The Strigoi probably was a Moroi before he was turned, seeing as how he had a lanky build and didn't seem as confident in his movements as a guardian would. He was just as tall as Ivan was, but not as bulky.

Ivan, while still maintaining the position between me and the Strigoi, started to make a what looked like a punch towards the Strigoi's chin, but then last minute, he took his other hand and connected it to his opponents stomach. Not expecting it, the Strigoi grunted and took a couple steps back. That's how most of the fight went both on the giving and receiving end of the vicious blows. Eventually, Ivan was given the upper hand when the Strigoi made the mistake of leaving his chest unprotected long enough for Ivan to slide the silver stake into the proper position to pierce his heart.

After he was positive that the Strigoi was dead, Ivan finally turned toward me, a thin coat of sweat on his forehead and breathing labored. Some time during the fight, I had sat up against the wall, frightened by what I had just seen. In all these years of living on our own, Ivan and I have never been attacked by a Strigoi. We still took the necessary precautions, like taking classes during the day, but never had we ever had to be faced with a Strigoi. Never had I _seen_ a Strigoi in person. Of course I had heard of them and feared them, but I have never been put into a position where I had to worry whether or not my friend and I would survive. I know Ivan was good at what he did, but I still couldn't get rid of the qualms I had. While sitting there on the floor, back up against the wall, I realized that this could be the end for both of us, and that scared the crap out of me.

Slowly, but surely, my muscles slowly began to relax. I could still feel my blood pulse behind my ears, and my fingers were still shaky, but I managed to get up and ask, "Are you okay?" to my best friend.

"That doesn't matter. Come on. We need to get out of here before more come. Who knows how many are actually in this building now?" Ivan said in a rushed tone. We both took off down the hallway once again moving as quietly and quickly as we could.

Both Ivan and I simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief as we reached the end of the hallway. I knew we were both thinking the same thing. _Once we get through that door, we will have a better chance of getting out of here alive. Just get to the door. The door. _It was our little mantra. It was the only thing we could hold on to. The only fact that made us move faster. With freedom and safety from this empty hallway only a heartbeat away, Ivan's hand reached out to grab the handle of the door…

But he came up short as two Strigoi can from behind and grabbed his two legs. I stood there, horrified, as Ivan was forced to fight both Strigoi off, which was basically suicide. As both Strigoi attacked, Ivan was clearly taking the brunt of all the hits thrown. As a best friend, I could let that happen to him, so I did the unspeakable. I closed my eyes and searched deep, down into my soul, searching for the magic that I knew was there. Once I captured it, I opened my eyes and concentrated on the Strigoi that had just knocked Ivan's stake out of his hands. In the blink of an eye, the Strigoi was on fire. I kept my eyes on him until he fell to the ground, crying out in agony.

Once my victim was nothing but a pile of ashes, my eyes wearily searched the hallway for my friend. I was breathing heavily, a layer of sweat right above my eyebrow. From the lack of feeding and all the energy I put into burning the Strigoi, my muscles were yelling at me to just stop right where I was. With my vision all blurry, I saw exactly what I didn't want to see. The other Strigoi, a past guardian by the looks of it, was holding Ivan by the neck, at least a foot off the floor.

Everything started moving in slow motion. My brain was in sensory overload, even in my exhausted state. I could feel my blood pulse, and my muscles tighten. I could feel Ivan suck in a deep breath—or as deep as possible given his situation—only to say one word. _Run_. I could hear that one, simple word echo off the walls. _Run_. The Strigoi flexed his muscles and twisted his arms in a way that had Ivan suffering. _Run_. But the one thing that my brain would hold onto was the sickening crack that my ears picked up as I exited the door to safety. _Run_.

**Sorry this chapter took so long. Fight scenes are harder than I thought they would be. Anyway, review. Criticism is welcome. =D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay. I'm sorry for the long wait and *insert overused excuse here*. Life has been *stupid, busy, suckish (take your pick)*. Don't worry, I do plan on finishing this story. Just to let that people who have already read this story I revised so that THIS CHAPTER ENDS DIFFERENTLY (I found the change neccessary for future plot). For those who are just beginning to read this story, don't worryabout it. Chapter four will be up within a week or two.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its charaters, no matter how much I wish I did. :(**

How? Why?

The only two words my brain was capable of making.

I shifted in the uncomfortable plastic chair found in the dean's office. After hours of sitting there in safety, I couldn't seem to get my body to understand that it was safe for the moment with guardians standing at least three feet away. I once again wiped my palms across my jeans in order to get rid of the moisture. Leaning my head all the way back until I was staring up at the bright lights on the ceiling, I let go of a deep sigh. After a few minutes, my eyes were starting to water from the brightness, but I welcomed the pain. It meant that I wasn't completely numb. It meant my body and mind weren't shutting down on me. If I could feel the pain, then it surely meant that I wasn't dreaming. When I closed my eyes, all I could see were little colorful dots dancing around. I would choose this over the image of a Strigoi's large hands wrapped around Ivan's fragile neck—that has been the main occupant of my brain—any day.

What got me the most was that I was caught completely off guard. Never had I thought I would see the day where Ivan would lose a fight with a Strigoi, ultimately ending with his demise, nor did everyone else for that matter. He was known for being a kick-ass guardian who had four molnija marks adorning the back of his neck. Countless times, he had been told he had the potential to be one of the best. As wrong as it was, in my mind, I saw Ivan as someone that was so good that nothing would happen to him.

I was proven wrong.

At first, all I could do was run. After all, it was Ivan's last dying word and wish: for me to run to safety. That's exactly what I did. I remember going as fast as I could possibly go. I remember that every time a foot of mine slapped against the tile floor, I could almost hear Ivan's word echoing in my brain. _Run_.

I ran my little heart out, and when I finally found guardians, I was so out of breathe that it took me a minute to form a coherent sentence. Once I did, everything started to string together becoming a blur that I didn't want to look too deeply into. Because at that moment, reality came crashing down on me.

My best friend was dead.

The sheer thought of never being able to joke around with my best friend ever again made a lump form in my throat and my stomach twist and turn. Because deep down, I knew he couldn't be dead. How could my life be the same without him? How could I go on without the one person that drew me out of myself and made me enjoy what life really had to offer?

I couldn't, that's how.

I was lost without him. This only made me realize how much I depended on him, as my guardian and my best friend.

My mental rant was interrupted by the door opening, and someone sitting behind the desk in front of me. I looked up to find Michael O'Donnell, Dean of Students at the university and fellow Moroi, move toward his desk and sit down. Mr. O' Donnell was pale like most Moroi who had a head of gray hair that seemed to have migrated down his face into a full blown beard since I first met him. In his pale blue eyes, I saw the things I didn't want to see. Pity. Sympathy. Sorrow. I looked away, not able to bare them along with my own tormented feelings.

"Mr. Belikov, I truly am sorry for your loss. I know you and Ivan were close." I didn't know how to respond, which led me to only nod my head. "I had just recently gotten off the phone with your father, and we have come to the agreement that you will take the next flight out to Pennsylvania. With the company of two of our guardians, of course."

In the back of my mind, I wondered how much say Mr. O' Donnell actually had in said "agreement". By the way he was fidgeting with his tie and the beads of sweat forming above his brow, my guess was none. It wasn't like this had never happened before. Most people tend to get this way after coming in contact with my father. Being a man of wealth in the Moroi world, he was known by everyone. Well, if you were the next in line for the crown, I guess that's what the standard reaction would be.

"I have arranged for Guardian Wagner and Ryan to escort you over. Your flight leaves in three hours." As Mr. O' Donnell mentioned their names, the two guardians stepped forward. Both were dressed in the standard guardian attire of black slacks and white button-down, topped with a black blazer.

It was then the reality of the situation hit me. Was it only about five hours ago that I was gearing up for a night out with Ivan? Life was giving me major whiplash. One second everything was dandy and swell. Then, the next, I'm in this mess, desperately searching for a way out. I looked down at the hideous rug underneath my feet. In my mind, I could almost hear Ivan saying, "This guy gets tons of donations a year, and he can't even buy himself a decent rug. It looks like someone barfed all over it and called it a day." On the inside, I smiled knowing that he would be completely correct. On the outside, I wore a grimace, as I got up from the plastic chair, and followed my two temporary guardians out of the office with the barf-rug.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

With two big, burly men next to me, I boarded the plane. Guardian Wagner—or just Adam because apparently Guardian Wagner was his father—was tall. Not as tall as my six-foot-seven-self, but tall enough. He had brown hair on top of his head, and a Scottish accent that sounded awkward mixed with my Russian one. There was also Guardian Jeremiah Ryan was one of the college's guardians. I recognized him from around campus in his security uniform with a taser gun underneath his vest, along with a silver stake, but not everyone needed to know that. We sat down in our row of seats waiting to depart. I sat in the seat next to the window with Jeremiah next to me.

I knew I should have felt safe with these two, yet I couldn't shake the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. I guess, once I realized that there could be a Strigoi attack at any moment, I also found out that there was no place that was completely safe. I knew I was just being paranoid, which was confirmed when Jeremiah turned to me and I jumped. While I was having my mini mental rant, looking out the window, Jeremiah and Adam were having a whispered conversation. Adam, needing to use the "loo", got up and stalked down the aisle. Once he was out of sight, Jeremiah opened his mouth about to say something and then shut it, as if changing his mind.

"I know you probably… have heard this… a lot…lately, but… I truly am sorry… for what happened," Jeremiah had said eventually after opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Even though his statement was hesitant, I was touched that he said something. I knew that for guardians sentiments were hard to come by, which made the apology important.

"Thanks," I replied.

"I worked with Ivan. He was always so…" Jeremiah was at loss for words. I could see it in his face that he was trying to find the right words to describe Ivan, and I knew how difficult it was. Ivan was a great person. He was a goof ball. He was always coming up with witty remarks and doing weird things to make people laugh. He was outgoing and liked to have a good time but knew when to get serious. Ivan was brave, determined, and had this hero-complex where he put everyone else before himself.

"I know what you mean." We both nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but man! I saw the tapes from the security cameras in the hall. And what you did? That was… amazing. I've never seen magic like that." My eyes widened in shock. How could I not think of that! When I killed that Strigoi by lighting him on fire, I was acting on impulse. The shear adrenaline and fear caused me to act and use magic offensively. I was screwed! Using magic like that, even for self defense, was against the law. Magic was something good and wonderful, not to be used for any sort of advantage, such as say… I don't know… kill a Strigoi. Jeremiah must have seen the hesitation in my face and put the pieces together. "Don't worry about it! No one's going to tell on you, okay? Just relax. I'm just saying it was pretty cool what you did."

Not knowing what else to say, I turned my head away from Jeremiah and Adam, who had just returned. All of a sudden, I felt the rough day's toll on my body. I was mentally and physically worn down. Exhausted, I tried to make myself as comfortable as I could—considering the small amount of space I was given. Leaning my head against the window, I closed my eyes, hoping to not see Ivan's face there.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews/criticism is welcome =D**


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